


Stand By Me

by CatsRecipehs



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Birthday, M/M, Married Couple, OTP Feels, Romantic Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 19:44:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9673268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatsRecipehs/pseuds/CatsRecipehs
Summary: It is Ignis's birthday, but what does the King get for the man whom he loves most in the world?Older Ignis x Noctis





	

The sound of rain hitting the windows of the highest floors of the Citadel was one of Ignis’s favorite sounds. A thunderstorm drenched the streets of the crown city Insomnia below, but high above it all the brown-haired man sat comfortably in a large chair, a warm blanket around his shoulders as he sipped a cup of hot tea. He was thankful that he could make it himself, the loss of his eyesight no longer hindering his treasured cooking abilities. The silence was peaceful, but he longed for something else.

A click. Ignis perked. The turn of a door handle. He smiled deeply. He was home.

“Iggy?” Noctis called out as he closed the door behind him.

“Over here, Noct,” Ignis said calmly, turning towards the sound of his name as he retained that smile on his lips. “I’ve kept the tea hot for you.”

“Iggy, I’m so sorry I’m late. The meeting of the restoration committee went long. They were arguing over something to do with architectural style of the new archives building and I finally just told them that they could submit two designs and I would pick my favorite. Really, it’s just a building…” he said with a sigh.

Ignis chuckled, listening to the sound of one shoe clunking to the floor, followed by another. Then the soft swish of a jacket being hung, and finally the pull of silk as Noctis loosened his tie. The familiar sounds of his husband coming home, no matter the time. Time, he had learned, was better measured by moments than by numbers on a clock he could no longer see. Better measured by words and soothing touches than by the rising and setting of the sun. Better spent with a kiss than with a countdown. Besides, when your husband is the King, you could hardly be upset with him for being home late from work, even if it was a special day.

“I think you should pick the one that looks most like a library and leave it at that. Isn’t it the books that matter anyway? Mn. I’m glad I thought to pack you a dinner. I hope it was good?” Ignis asked.

“It was meat and bread, so it was the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” Noctis said as he smirked, moving behind Ignis now. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on top of his head, taking in his scent as he did so. His hair was freshly washed, but it was the scent of safety and familiarity that made Noctis smile. The same smell from all those years ago, when he would sneak into Ignis’s room and crawl into his bed after having a nightmare. “I missed you,” he whispered.

“I missed you as well,” Ignis said in return, patting the space beside him in the chair. “Gladio and Prompto stopped by today.”

“Oh yeah?” Noctis said as he moved around to the front of the chair that faced the large windows, sitting down and curling into his lover’s side. Ignis gently wrapped his arm and blanket around the other man, which made Noctis sigh softly in relaxation. He brought his hand to Ignis’s chest, then blinked as he caught glimpse of what was on the shirt his husband was wearing. “Oh yeah, they were here…” he said as he started to laugh softly.

“What? It’s an Ebony shirt…” Ignis said, his eyes narrowing in concern. Gladio and Prompto had given him this shirt. He hadn’t really questioned it; more so he thought it was nice of them to remember what day it was. A look of panic suddenly came over his features. How could he _not_ have questioned it? “Noctis…”

“Gotcha…” Noctis said with a smirk. “It’s an Ebony shirt. It’s really soft…looks perfect on you.”

Ignis opened his mouth to speak but then just smirked softly. “Fool me once,” he chuckled. Ignis relaxed again, placing his hand over his husband’s against his chest, leaning over to rest their heads together. It was silent again for a minute, except for the hard drops of rain that relentlessly struck the windows. To Ignis, there were no greater moments on Eos than these. The unspoken bond between he and Noctis had been sealed with rings almost a year ago now, but it was a bond that had existed for their whole lives. The ceremony was just formality, one that they had shared with their dearest friends.

His life was everything he wanted it to be, and yet, there were things that he missed about being able to see. He missed seeing the myriad of smiles that came to Noctis’s features, from silly to surprised to joyous. He missed driving while the then Prince slept in the backseat of the car. But more than anything, he missed looking into Noctis’s eyes and seeing nothing but the deepest of loves in their reflection. If he concentrated, he could still picture it in his mind. It was the one memory that he would fight to never forget. “I love you,” Ignis whispered.

Staring out at the falling rain, Noctis was waiting for the right moment to do what he had planned for weeks. When he heard that hint of sorrow in his husband’s voice, he knew it was time. “I love you, too, Iggy. Um…happy birthday. Wait here, ok?” he said, smiling as he stood up from the chair.

Ignis looked confused but smiled as he turned his head towards the sound of Noctis’s footsteps leading away from him and towards a spot that was more than familiar. The piano. He heard the creak of the bench as Noctis took a seat. He felt his heart flutter softly. Noctis had never taken a huge interest in learning how to play an instrument, but the piano was Ignis’s favorite. When they were children, Noct would sit on the bench beside him and allow Ignis to teach him simple songs. That was over twenty years ago. Ignis was an accomplished player now, and the King, it seemed, had been practicing in secret.

Noctis took a breath to settle his nerves as he stared down at the keys. When this idea came to him, he started working on it right away, as hard as he could. What do you get a man for his birthday when a material gift just isn’t enough? You give him love, from your heart. Love that could be felt and heard, even if it could no longer be seen.

A soft melody began to ring through the air with a deep bass tone. After a few bars, Noctis began to sing:

_When the night has come_  
And the land is dark  
And the moon is the only light we'll see  
No I won't be afraid  
Oh, I won't be afraid  
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

_So darling, darling_  
Stand by me, oh stand by me  
Oh stand, stand by me  
Stand by me

_If the sky that we look upon_  
Should tumble and fall  
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea  
I won't cry, I won't cry  
No, I won't shed a tear  
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

 

As Noctis’s voice faded out and the notes of the piano keys slowed to a stop, Noctis stood again and walked back over towards his husband, kneeling down in front of Ignis. He stared at the tears that had fallen to the man’s cheeks, smiling as he reached up to softly wipe them away. In that moment, he knew he had given him the greatest gift of all. “Do you have my back, Iggy?” he whispered.

Ignis leaned into Noctis’s hands, holding them to his face as he pressed their foreheads together. All he could see was blue in his mind. Deep swirls of the brightest blue mixed with an unwavering love. Happy birthday, indeed.

“Always,” Ignis whispered in return. “Always.”


End file.
